Today, the saints (the blessed apostles and holy virgins) having gathered together radiant with [the light of] torches, lit their lanterns and said together: ‘Blessed are you, O most-blessed amongst women!’ Today, placing the Holy Virgin before the door of the …
Every Armenian is familiar with ԿոմիտասՎարդապետ, Komitas/Gomidas Vartabed, revered musicologist and priest of the Armenian Church, whose 150th anniversary of birth we celebrate this year. While his collection and transcription of folk songs are perhaps his most important legacy, he …
Last week, we discussed the խազ/khaz, the enigmatic signs dotting the liturgical books of the Armenian Apostolic Church. For centuries, these were the only system of notating Armenian liturgical music, the only way of writing down melodies and rhythms that …
Every deacon and many choir members have encountered the enigmatic symbols in the pages of liturgical books such as the Շարակնոց/Sharagnots (Hymnal) or the Ժամագիրք/Jamakirk (Book of Hours). They appear as squiggles and lines above and between the rows of …
Today, after the example of Adam, the first-created, who was rejoicing in the Garden of delight with the angels, let us rejoice too in spiritual praise. -Midday Hymn for “New Sunday,” in Tone 8 New Sunday in the Armenian …